Dave its funny that you mention farmers walk. I was at a scottish highland games once, and at the end they had a farmers walk contest, winner gets $500. There were a lot of the better pro athletes there, in fact even Ryan Viera was there and he is now like 5 time world champ... so i didnt really give myself much of a chance to win... but the handles on the implements were like a regular bar, not thick like they sometimes are... and I hooked those suckers and kicked everyones butt!!! I walked till my legs and lungs wore out, literally, the grip never slipped. I am sure i was the only one there that used the hook. because i know there were guys there with grips far stronger than mine, and everyone else, i mean everyone, stopped because the grip on one hand or the other failed, not because they couldnt walk any further.

anyway, just a funny story about how i made a few $$ because I knew how to hook, along with making my thumbs hurt for about a month.

glenn

Ack! sounds nasty..I get to about 280-300 farmers on a regular bar and even with a hook, my palms just feel like they are flayed...